Lincoln Celebrates Dr. Herbert L Songer Day

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Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, 29 May 1980

Doctor Songer Day at Lincoln was a huge success from the moment birdsong announced daybreak and fine weather, to evening time, when participants, home again, quietly reminisced the day’s happy events. The one and a half hour afternoon production skillfully adapted from the good doctor’s interesting life story, was wrapped with enthusiasm, bound with deep affection and presented with nothing short of professionalism.

The fine tribute to Doctor Songer as he observes his 40th year of medical practice here at Lincoln attracted people from 14 states and brought a Doctor Songer Baby all the way from Holland to express her gratitude to the doctor for his help to her parents in war-torn Germay 35 years ago.

Following services at the Lincoln Methodist Church Sunday morning, where the congregation presented tokens of their esteem, the Songer family joined a picnic crowd gathering at the Lincoln City Park. Lions Club members from across the county prepared and served a succulent beef barbecue to approximately 820 people.

A classic, “To Doctor Songer with Love,” was written and produced by Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Greene of Tescott, with assistance from the local steering committee and many friends and relatives from around the world.

Muriel Greene’s Songer story narrative was well documented with slides punctuated by surprise guest appearances of friends and associates from out of the doctor’s past as well as his present and future.

An on-stage appearance of the Songers’ grandchildren who cleverly and confidently rhymed – in unison – that their granddad was a Songer kid, their parents were also Songer kids, and now they are here to “fill those big Songer shoes” was a crowd pleaser, not to mention prophetic! (But, not for years and years and years, kids!)

Guests’ appearances spotlighted as “living slides” on stage were numerous. Those highlights included the doctor’s former teacher and four-year LHS class sponsor Alfred Hurst, now of Salina; Harry Rank of Siloam Springs, Ark., who was a special friend from school days; Arrahwanna Loy Montgomery, now of Colorado Springs, Colo., who assisted the doctor at many Lincoln and Lincoln area birthings; the Songer Baby, Henriette Schwencke Boodt of Albasserdam, Holland (see separate story) who came halfway around the world to visit a doctor she has heard about all her life who delivered her a time when her parents were in hiding from the Germans during World War II.

The Greenes’ production included introduction of Doctor Songer’s office staff; Lincoln Mayor Dee Gourley read the document proclaiming Sunday Doctor Songer Day. A Senior Center delegation presented their doctor friend a colorful afghan.

Letters from Mrs. Charles Kuhl of Michawaka, Ind., whose late husband was the young soldier of the Patton slapping incident during WW II and a tribute in letter form from his former partner, Dr. Harold Smith, now of Salina, were read and presented to Doctor Songer.

There were appearances by Rick McBride, Q.M. of the Lincoln VFW Post; Bob Hamilton, spoke for Kansas University alumni; and on behalf of the Young Women’s Community Service League, Jolene Morton presented a portrait to be placed in the local hospital waiting room. June Nunn and Marguerite Tiemann, hospital staff members, were on stage, as were Sandra Walker and Linda Walker Plinsky, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Walker, representing the several sets of twins the doctor has assisted into the world. Marcia Greene, Berkley, Calif., sent her doctor greetings via a tape recording.

Sen. Bob Dole, Russell, presented the doctor with an American flag that had been flown over the White House; Kansas Senator Ben Vidricksen, Salina, also made a stage appearance.

Several banners decorated the auditorium and were to the guest of honor by debbie Kobbeman, on behalf of the Lots of Luck and Westfall EHUs; Iris Miller, for Mid-America Nursing Center.

Sunday’s tribute to Doctor Songer began with the presentation of the colors by American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts, and Penny Andreson sang “God Bless America.” Ray Rasmussen’s solo, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” was a poignant reflection on Songer’s wartime experiences during which he was four times decorated, earning him the distinguished honor as the most decorated medical officer in the European Theater of War. …

The production team uncovered the little-known fact that when young Herb was in his third year of college, the dean of the Kansas University Medical School, learning Herb’s dream was to return to his home town as a doctor, did an unheard of thing – admitted him to med school before he had earned his college degree.

An exact count of Songer Babies present for the May 25 happening is, regrettably, not available at press time. Among those here who were sporting the nifty “I’m a Doctor Songer Baby” buttons was the doctor’s very first Lincoln delivery, John E. Jewell, now of Whiting, Kan. Doctor Songer delivered this fellow in March of 1940. Total county of Songer babies is well over 1,200! …

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Dr. Songer's Biggest Surprise

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Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, 29 May 1980

Undoubtedly the biggest surprise to Doctor Songer, his family and his public during “To Doctor Songer with Love” production at Lincoln Grade School auditorium Sunday was the appearance of a Doctor Songer Baby who came all the way here from a village near Rotterdam, Holland. She is Beatrix Henriette Schwencke-Boodt.

The Sentinel is pleased to publish her speech to Doctor Songer made during Sunday’s program.

“My very best wishes on this special appreciation day. I think you must be wondering who I am. You don’t recognize me and you think you have never heard my voice before.

“In this you are wrong; you did hear my voice before, though it sounded quite different then. You heard the first sounds I ever made, and your face was the first face I ever saw. But, many other people can say the same, I suppose.

“In my case you have to go back in your memory 35 years, to the end of a highly regrettable period in the history of Europe: to the 22nd of March, 1945.

“A few hours before that day a small unit of the American Army succeeded in crossing the Rhine over the bridge of Remagen in Germany. The bridge was blown up, and they were cut off from the rest of the army.

“I need not go into detail, as you were in that unit, and know more about it than I do. At that same time, there was a young couple in Burchhausen, a village quite near the bridge, who were expecting their first baby. It was a difficult and dangerous time for them, as the man was a Dutchman and had escaped from compulsory work in Cologne, Germany.

“They were hiding in this little village until their baby would be born, because they thought it would be a reasonably safe place away from direct battle and inquisitive eyes. They could not have been more mistaken.

“As I said, the American Army crossed the Rhine and immediately the place became a battlefield. And, on top of that it became clear that their baby wanted to enter the world. A most imprudent thing at a most inopportune moment. There was no possibility to go to a hospital then, and the father-to-be could not show himself to the Germans. In desperation he tried to get into contact with the Americans, to see if there was a doctor among them.

“This was a dangerous thing to do, as all people not wearing uniforms ran the risk of being shot; and of course he had to convince the Americans that he was not a traitor.

“However, together with two soldiers he searched the trenches and there he found you, Doctor Songer. And, after he had explained everything to you, found you willing to help his wife.

“And, that is where you have heard my voice before. I was that baby. But for you, my start in life would have been a hazardous affair, which as likely as not could have ended fatally.

“My parents were very grateful, because, as an Army doctor, you need not have helped civilians. And on special occasions, like birthdays, the story of my birth and your name were mentioned with gratitude. And now that I am a mother myself, I can understand their feelings still better.

“Therefore I want to thank you most sincerely, and once again give you my very best wishes. I am very glad I can call myself a Doctor Songer baby.”

Although Mrs. Schwencke’s mother is no longer living, she brought a tape recording to Kansas from her father, Franz Boodt, and it was played at Sunday’s appreciation program. In it, the father exclaimed that he would like to make an award to Doctor Songer of a medal of the “Visiting Stork,” an insignia worn by Dutch nurses! Mr. Boodt was profoundly moved when he received the letter from the Kenneth Greenes who were searching for the young couple Doctor Songer had helped.

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Dr. Songer Announces Retirement

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From the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, April 30, 1981

After 41 years in the practice of medicine at Lincoln, the doctor's notice is brief: "I regret to inform you that my office will be closed permanently and I will stop seeing patients June 1, 1981," it begins.

Thus an era at Lincoln is drawing to a close.

Doctor Herbert L. Songer, M.D., commented this week that the retirement date is later "by a year or two" than he had planned. After Darlene and he were married, "circumstances" delayed the announcement made officially last week:

"I will retire as of June 1, and Darlene and I plan to move to Abilene sometime in the summer."

Mrs. Songer herself retired in January of 1978 after more than 45 years' service in her profession as Registered Nurse. The last 33 years of her career were served at Abilene Memorial Hospital, 20 years of which she was Director of Nursing. She was on the nursing staff of Miltonvale and Junction City hospitals also during her career, did private duty nursing, and in the early years, helped deliver many babies in homes while living at Miltonvale, the doctor said.

Here in her hometown  Lincoln  Mrs. Songer, the former Darlene Hundertmark, was surgical nurse for the late Dr. Malcolm Newlon.

"Now she says that she has worked harder since than before retirement," he teased.

In their retirement, the Songers have a yen to do some traveling  like a "slow boat to Alaska" and a trip to the northwest. The two look forward to the pleasure and relaxation of uninterrupted work in their yard and just goin fishing  Darlene is the better fisher, he admitted. Also in the offing are those tantalizing books on crafts, shelved for no one knows how long ' there'll be time to open them, to try his hand.

Not surprisingly, Doctor Songer also stated that he will be doing relief work for other doctors, including Dr. Mary Luidens who is expected to begin her practice at Lincoln in mid-summer.

For many years Herb Songer has been the Lincoln County Health Officer and the County Coroner. He has a 25-year pin representing his membership in the Lincoln Lions Club.

It was just a year ago next month that the Doctor Songer Appreciation Day took place at Lincoln, a celebration attended by serveral thousand people who gathered to pay tribute to their doctor and friend.

The community regrets, too, that is is time for the doctor to retire. With the realization that he has devoted so many years of his life to residents of this community, state and nation as an outstanding citizen, soldier and phsycian, these people wish the worth doctor a full measure of good health and joy in his well-deserved retirement.

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